Washi tape (for sticking on to paper!) – if you haven’t come across this, it is yummy patterned Japanese masking tape which is slowly being introduced into the UK – Paperchase and a few other places now sell it (I found some Rob Ryan washi tape in Waterstones the other day).

This is part of my paper storage – as you can see it is a bit in need of a clearout. I got the metal racks in Poundstretcher or a similar shop and they are a bit prone to collapsing without warning and causing an avalanche. In those shoeboxes I’ve got all my smaller pieces of decorative papers or printed Gocco papers arranged according to subject and the larger pieces are on the top.

I have lots of different papers: corrugated paper/card (that is good for printing too); thin, translucent Japanese washi paper; strong thin lokta paper that can be stitched into (made in Nepal); old paper used for legal documents and old maps, with a sort of stringy mesh texture; printed paper bags (the one in the picture is a William Morris design). The black and white photo on the top right is masking tape – I used it as a resist when I was printing Birth of a City; when I took it off, I stuck it randomly on to paper.

I love printing and painting on old newspapers too – here are a few in my collection. Great for using in collage! I just love paper because it is so versatile and, like fabric, can be made from all sorts of plant material, cut, torn, stitched and used in lots of projects. The yellow swirly pattern (top right) is a Gocco print – I made the screen from a doodle – and various other painted papers.

So what do I do with them? Here are some more of the painted papers – the orange and black one was decorated when I painted old train tickets with black and white gesso – I put the orange painted paper underneath rather than use old newspaper or something else to protect the table and it made a very efffective design.

Left photo is Japanese paper I got from Falkiners in London – they have the most gorgeous paper and bookbinding equipment too. Right photo is a double sided wrapping paper I bought somewhere, I love it!

Left: mostly packing paper that produces amazing texture when painted. Right: Gocco printed skyscraper screened over some paper that I’d already smooshed paint over (I think it was one of those paint effects where you splash paint on, put another sheet of paper over the top and pull them apart to produce that smooshy texture).

More gocco printing, birds this time – on various surfaces.

This is what I’ve done with some of the old train tickets – I can never throw anything out! I’m planning to use them as tags or perhaps even business cards.

So what do I use these papers for? Well, here is a pile of handmade journals for a start…

The PaperLove Blog Hop is a celebration of all things paper! Follow the links to discover more bloggers who love paper and use it to inspire and delight. And if you want to explore a whole world of paper, and stretch your paper passion further with a host of creative projects, why not join the innovative new online course PaperLove (starts March 31). Led by book artist Rachel Hazell, PaperLove is a five week creative adventure for paper lovers. Find out more here

Hop over and have a look at it! There are links to instructions on making all kinds of handmade books, including Coffee Filter Books, how to bind an accordian style book, mini books with shrink plastic (I’m going to check this one out – I’ve got loads of gocco printed shrink plastic and was wondering what to do with them!). Also binding a book using a brown paper bag, ribbon binding tutorial.

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Hello. My name's Liz Plummer and I'm an artist based in Newport, South Wales, UK, working mostly with fabric. I love dyeing, printing, painting and stitching.
This blog is about the influences on my work, inspiration, my daily life,
and the processes of creating. Enjoy!